Naruto: The Otsutsuki Naruto

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Naruto, Konan, and Kisame walked through the dark underground tunnel.

It had been three days since their return from Kumogakure.

Orochimaru had gone out to retrieve usable experimental equipment from his old facilities.

Konan asked, "Aren't you worried he'll just leave and never come back?"

Naruto replied, "He won't. That man's thirst for truth surpasses everything else. By staying with me, he can get closer to the truth he seeks."

Konan followed up, "How's the food? Are you satisfied?"

Naruto nodded. "It's pretty good."

Konan smiled. "I specifically selected the best chefs from the village. If there's anything you don't like, just tell me. I can recruit someone from outside the village."

"That's too much trouble, Sister Konan," Naruto said.

Konan replied, "It's no trouble. Amegakure still has some savings to spare."

Tap.

At the end of the tunnel, the vast ocean stretched out before them.

Naruto gazed at the sea, his expression wistful. "Pervy Sage... this is where he met his end, isn't it?"

Konan's eyes betrayed a hint of guilt. "To be honest, Jiraiya-sensei once lost an arm. That severed arm was later disposed of by Akatsuki's White Zetsu."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, they used Zetsu to dispose of the bodies of allies or enemies to prevent any information leaks."

Konan lowered her gaze. "This ocean is vast. Searching for him here would be..."

The deep-sea pressure is an absolute danger zone for ninjas.

Even someone with an indestructible body like the Third Raikage could withstand the pressure but wouldn't be able to solve the breathing problem.

Of course, for a ninja who can swim like a shark and breathe freely underwater, it's a different story.

Naruto turned to Kisame. "Kisame, I'll have to trouble you."

"Leave it to me!"

Kisame stepped forward and fused with his giant sword, Samehada, transforming into a half-man, half-shark form!

Marine creatures have liquid in every cell of their bodies that matches the external pressure, preventing them from being crushed by the immense water pressure.

Additionally, marine creatures can breathe using gills. Water flows in through the mouth and out through the gill slits, where gas exchange occurs.

Naruto asked with concern, "Kisame, I've heard that deep-sea fish and shallow-sea fish have different pressure tolerances. Deep-sea fish explode when brought to shallow waters, and shallow-sea fish are crushed by deep-sea pressure. Can your form adapt to the deep sea?"

Kisame replied confidently, "No problem. After fusing with Samehada, I can regulate the pressure inside my cells to adapt to the ocean's depth. I can also use the Thousand Feeding Sharks technique to expand the search area. But considering the size of the ocean, it's still a bit limited."

Naruto said sincerely, "Then I'm counting on you, Kisame."

Whoosh!

Kisame dove into the sea, disappearing in an instant. His graceful movements were awe-inspiring.

Naruto sat down and waited quietly.

Night fell.

The sea rippled as Kisame leapt out of the water!

Naruto's spirits lifted, and he jumped onto the surface of the sea.

Kisame reverted to his normal form and placed a skeleton entangled in seaweed before them.

Naruto examined the skeleton carefully.

It was clear that both arms were intact, which didn't match Jiraiya's characteristics.

Konan commented, "It's probably just someone who died at sea. In the past, Hanzo's remnants often infiltrated here, and their bodies were simply thrown into the ocean."

Naruto said quietly, "Yeah, maybe."

In truth, Konan couldn't bring herself to say it—most bodies that fall into the ocean end up as food for fish. Jiraiya's fate was likely no different.

But Naruto had solid evidence.

In the future, Amado, a scientist from Kara, created a clone of Jiraiya. He had explicitly stated that it was made using specialized equipment to retrieve Jiraiya's body from the ocean!

"Hah." Kisame took a deep breath. "I'll go back and search again."

Naruto quickly stopped him. "Kisame, let's call it a day. In the ocean, you can't replenish your chakra. Rest up first. This isn't something that can be accomplished in a single day."

He had already prepared for the long haul.

Kisame went to rest.

Naruto walked through the night rain, lost in thought.

"Sigh." Konan sighed softly. "I'm sorry. If it weren't for us, Jiraiya-sensei wouldn't have died."

Naruto smiled faintly. "It's okay. That's all in the past. Actually, I was just thinking—if we had summoning creatures like Pain, we could cut the work in half."

Konan asked, "You mean the ones from the Animal Path?"

Naruto covered his left eye slightly. "Yeah. Amphibious, versatile, and incredibly powerful. Their numbers also seem unlimited. If I could summon crabs or something, it might speed up the search."

Konan said thoughtfully, "If it's the Animal Path's ability, I might be able to help you."

Tap.

Naruto stopped in his tracks.

Konan continued, "The Animal Path's summoning creatures all come from the Realm of Samsara. It's a contract land that only those with the Rinnegan can reach."

This was the first time Naruto had learned this secret!

After all, even Sasuke later didn't unlock the Animal Path's abilities!

Naruto's eyes lit up. "How do I get there?"

Konan shook her head. "It can't be accessed intentionally. Rinnegan users have a certain chance of entering it in their dreams. Nagato only triggered it after summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path for the first time."

Naruto's gaze turned somber. "I've tried summoning the statue, but there's a huge barrier. I suspect Akatsuki has done something to it—like Obito sealing the statue into his eye."

Konan said, "But if it's you, you might not need to summon the statue."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Why's that?"

Konan explained, "Because you've already mastered the Deva Path's abilities. Nagato only gradually mastered them after summoning the statue and sacrificing chakra. The fact that you've done so without summoning the statue suggests your talent with the Rinnegan surpasses Nagato's. You might already meet the conditions to trigger the Realm of Samsara."

Naruto frowned. "But it can't be accessed intentionally, right?"

Konan nodded. "Yes, it's entirely up to chance. It could happen tonight, a month from now, a year, or even longer."

Naruto sighed. "But I can't wait that long."

Ever since seeing the ocean, Naruto had been haunted by thoughts of Jiraiya lying in the cold depths. He couldn't eat or sleep peacefully.

But out of consideration for Konan's feelings, he didn't voice this.

Konan looked downcast. Even without Naruto saying it, she knew why he was so anxious.

At that moment, a determined look appeared in Naruto's eyes. "I might have a way."

Konan was surprised. "What way?"

Naruto formed a hand seal in front of his chest. "When I was training in the past, I used this method to speed up progress. But I've never tried having thousands of shadow clones dream at the same time."

"*Shadow Clone Jutsu!*"

Poof! Poof! Poof!

Under Konan's astonished gaze, white smoke filled the air as thousands of shadow clones appeared in the rain!

Clap!

Naruto clapped his hands together and declared loudly, "Whatever this Realm of Samsara is, tonight we're going to crash it! Let's go, everyone!"

The clones erupted in a cacophony of cheers.

"Yeah!!"

"No problem!!"

"Leave it to me!!!"

"I'm going to catch that bubble-blowing giant crab!!"

Konan watched the scene with a complex expression, her emotions swirling. "This child... truly unbelievable."